Lantana plant named ‘Robpwpur’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lantana  plant named ‘Robpwpur’, characterized by its mounding and trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit; relatively small leaves; freely flowering habit; and purple and white-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliage.

Botanical designation: Lantana montevidensis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Robpwpur’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantana,botanically known as Lantana montevidensis, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Robpwpur’.

The new Lantana is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Grain Valley, Mo. The objective of the breeding programis to create new freely-flowering Lantana cultivars with attractiveflower coloration.

The new Lantana is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Lantanamontevidensis cultivar Alba, not patented. The new Lantana wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor on a single plant of thecultivar Alba in a controlled environment in Grain Valley, Mo. in July,2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lantana by vegetative cuttings in acontrolled environment in Grain Valley, Mo. since October, 2002, hasshown that the unique features of this new Lantana are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Robpwpur has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Robpwpur’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Robpwpur’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofLantana:

-   -   1. Mounding and trailing plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Relatively small leaves.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Purple and white-colored flowers that are held above and        beyond the foliage.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the parent, thecultivar Alba. Plants of the new Lantana differ primarily from plants ofthe cultivar Alba in flower color as plants of the cultivar Alba havewhite-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Lantana havedarker green-colored leaves than plants of the cultivar Alba.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the Lantanacultivar Weeping Lavender, not patented. Plants of the new Lantanadiffer from plants of the cultivar Weeping Lavender in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana have darker green-colored leaves        than plants of the cultivar Weeping Lavender.    -   2. Plants of the new Lantana have darker purple-colored flowers        than plants of the cultivar Weeping Lavender.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Lantana, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Lantana.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Robpwpur’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalinflorescences and leaves of ‘Robpwpur’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., under commercialpractice during the spring and summer in an outdoor nursery with daytemperatures ranging from 13° C. to 38° C. and night temperaturesranging from 10° C. to 24° C. Plants used in the photographs and for thedescription were grown in one-gallon containers for about four months.In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lantana montevidensis cultivar Robpwpur.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of Lantana    montevidensis cultivar Alba, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 to 14 days at 26°            C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 15 to 17 days at 20°            C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four            weeks at 26° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About five            weeks at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; thin; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit.—Initially upright, then mounding and trailing            plant habit. Freely branching habit; about four primary            lateral branches per plant each with numerous secondary            branches; pinching enhances lateral branch development;            dense and bushy plant habit. Vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 26 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 48 cm by 62 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 34 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 3.5 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1.7 cm to 2.2 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Texture, young.—Pubescent; coarse.        -   Texture, mature.—Woody.        -   Color, young.—148A.        -   Color, mature.—199A to 199B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 5.7 cm.        -   Width.—About 3.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Obtuse to attenuate.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Coarse, rough; minute            pubescence.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:            147A; venation, 147B. Developing and fully expanded foliage,            lower surface: 147B; venation, 147C.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:            146B. Color, lower surface: 147C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Solitary tubular flowers            arranged in hemispherical axially umbels; flowers face            mostly upward or outward. Freely flowering habit with            potentially two inflorescences developing per node, each            umbel with about 28 flowers.        -   Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn;            flowering continuous during this period.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About four to five days.            Flowers not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Not detected.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.6 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.6 cm.        -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,            four-parted. Diameter: About 1 cm by 1.2 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.9 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.            Shape: Elongate, oblong. Color: 75B.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of four fused petals.            Petal lobe length: About 3.5 mm to 5 mm. Petal lobe width:            About 4 mm to 7 mm. Petal lobe shape: Roughly ovoid. Petal            lobe apex: Rounded. Petal margin: Entire, slightly sinuate.            Petal texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Petal            texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color: When opening,            upper surface: 84B. When opening, lower surface: 84C. Fully            opened, upper surface: 84A; towards the base, 155D; throat,            85B. Fully opened, lower surface: Towards the margins, 84A;            center, 84C; towards the center, 155D; tube, 84A.        -   Calyx.—Appearance: Short and narrow tubular calyx. Length:            About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal            margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper surface: Smooth,            glabrous. Sepal texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Sepal            color, upper and lower surfaces: 145C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.8 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: Less than 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.            Color: Close to 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per            flower, adnate to floral tube. Filament length: About 2 mm.            Filament color: 155D. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length:            Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 162A. Pollen amount: Scarce.            Pollen color: 162A. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower.            Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma            color: 145A. Style length: About 1.5 mm. Style color: 145D.            Ovary color: 145A. Fruits/seed: Fruit and seed development            have not been observed.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed    to tolerate temperatures from about 4° C. to about 38° C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lantana have not been    observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Lantanas.

1. A new and distinct Lantana plant named ‘Robpwpur’ as illustrated anddescribed.